ARCHIVE OF PAST SEASONS
BOSTON's PROFESSIONAL CHORAL ENSEMBLE PERFORMING MUSIC OF WOMEN COMPOSERS FROM THE 9th CENTURY TO THE PRESENT DAY
BOSTON's PROFESSIONAL CHORAL ENSEMBLE PERFORMING MUSIC OF WOMEN COMPOSERS FROM THE 9th CENTURY TO THE PRESENT DAY
BOSTON's PROFESSIONAL CHORAL ENSEMBLE PERFORMING MUSIC OF WOMEN COMPOSERS FROM THE 9th CENTURY TO THE PRESENT DAY
BOSTON's PROFESSIONAL CHORAL ENSEMBLE PERFORMING MUSIC OF WOMEN COMPOSERS FROM THE 9th CENTURY TO THE PRESENT DAY
BOSTON's PROFESSIONAL CHORAL ENSEMBLE PERFORMING MUSIC OF WOMEN COMPOSERS FROM THE 9th CENTURY TO THE PRESENT DAY
Photo: Sam Brewer
ARCHIVE OF PAST SEASONS
"...impeccable unison tuning, liquid dexterity.."
2016-2017
2016-2017
Music for 16 voices by Sulpitia Cesis, from her Motteti Spirituali, together with ethereal works by Arvo Pärt and John Tavener.
NOV 2016 program
RESOUND sacred chants from medieval times through the present day: works by Hildegard von Bingen and Kassia, chant from the Salzinnes Mansuscript and the Florentine Laudario . JAN 2017 program
From Behind the Caravan by Abbie Betinis with songs of the medieval French trouveres, all around a dinner table.
MAR 2017 program
Song and dance from the court of Versailes, by Charpentier, Antonia Bembo, and the mysterious Mlle.Laurent.
With renowned baroque dancers, Ken Pierce and Camilla Finlay.
MAY 2017 program
2015-2016
CLARKE, COPLAND, CASSANDRA choral works by England's pathbreaking Rebecca Clarke and Aaron Copland. Elena Ruehr's stunning a cappella opera CASSANDRA, arranged for Cappella Clausura especially for these concerts NOV 2015 program
RESOUNDINGS sacred chants from medieval times through the present day: works by Hildegard von Bingen and Arvo Pärt, the Renaissance music of Italian nun Raffaella Aleotti, and contemporary works by German composer Erna Woll. JAN 2016 program
MADRIGALIA features the poetic, lyrical madrigals of Barbara Strozzi, who was active in the 1650s, as well as those of Madalena Casulana, credited with publishing the very first printed musical work by a woman in 1568. MAR 2016 program
The incandescent Patricia Van Ness composed "Birds of the Psalms", for Cappella Clausura and Amelia LeClair, premiered in these concerts. Also features Victoria, Weelkes, Tallis, Rachmaninoff and Tchaikovsky; and the ancient Greek composer Kassia MAY 2016 program
2014-2015
VESPERS - Two moving Baroque masterpieces. A generation...gender...and worlds apart. Joined in spiritual passion. Featuring the Cappella Clausura vocal ensemble with guest artists Carol Lewis, gamba, Catherine Liddell & Olav Chris Henriksen, theorbos. (November 2014) Program
SOUNDINGS: sit inside the chant - Music by composers from Hildegard to Stravinsky. The singers and instrumentalists will surround you in ever-changing constellations, immersing you in this exquisite music. Hildegard von Bingen - Igor Stravinsky Kassia - Francis Poulenc - Amelia LeClair - Raffaella Aleotti - Maurice Duruflé - Patricia Van Ness. (February 2015) Program
BEAUTIFUL AS A DOVE - Allegri’s exquisite Miserere, settings from the Song of Songs by Tomás Luis de Victoria, Raffaella Aleotti, Alessandro Scarlatti, Giovanni da Palestrina, Clemens non Papa, Francisco Guerrero (March 2015) Program
EXULTET! - Evocative music of Arvo Pärt, Eric Whitacre, Hildegard von Bingen and distinguished Welsh composer Hilary Tann. Featuring the New England premiere of Tann’s “Exultet Terra,” as recreated for Cappella Clausura for double choir and double reed quintet, featuring guest oboist Peggy Pearson. (May 2015) Program
2013-2014
REBECCA CLARKE AND HER CIRCLE - Vaughan Williams, Britten and Palestrina. Rebecca Clarke is now recognized as one of the most important British composers of the period between the world wars.(Oct. 2013) Program
GLORIA -Composers include Hildegard von Bingen, Sulpitia Cesis, Rafaella Aleotti, Chiara Cozzolani, and Patricia Van Ness.
The program is ornamented by dance and puppetry. Featuring Helena Froehlich's CREATIONDANCE (Dec. 2013) Program
A Garland of Madrigals - sampling some of the delicious madrigals of
Renaissance teenager Vittoria Aleotti (published 1593), plus songs and madrigals of the young Dowland (1597) and the young Gesualdo (1594). (March 2014) Program
IILLUMINATIONS - a performance/ installation piece inviting audiences to immerse themselves in the world of a 1554 Belgian convent with chant from a recently discovered antiphonal, period costumes, period food, and full color banners of pages from the Salzinnes Antiphonal. (May 2014) Program
Pre-2013
Ghirlanda de Madrigali- This Garland of Madrigals was written by 14 year old Aleottiand published in 1593. Aleotti was only the second woman to have printed a volumn of music devoted exclusively to her compositions.( Oct. 2011)
Program
MISTRESS! - Music to celebrate the 400th birthday of Mistress Anne Bradstreet, America’s first poet, who arrived in Salem, MA on the Arbella in 1630. Music by Dorothy Crawford, and a premiere by Hilary Tann, plus works of Leonarda and Strozzi. (March 2012) Program
Outside the Walls- Works by the maestre of early baroque composition: Chiara Cozzolani, Raffaella Aleotti, Bianca Maria Meda, Caterina Assandra, and Sulpitia Cesis, as they might have been performed outside of the convents (May 2012)
Program
Hildegard von Bingen's ORDO VIRTUTUMThe first opera ever written was by a woman of immense stature in her day. We perform it in a contemporary setting, with a female devil (CEO) who tempts the young Anima with worldly goods. (Nov. 2010)Video, Program
Great Motets of Sulpitia Cesis-
We partner with select members of Concord Women's Chorus and special guests Mack Ramsey and Tom Zajac on sackbut, to present all 18 motets by this remarkable sound engineer who played the lute and composed these stunningly beautiful pieces for double choir as well as smaller groupings. (Feb. 2011) Program
Elisabeth Jacquet de la Guerre-Works for small instrumental ensemble and voices by the brilliant court composer to Louis XV, as well as a mini-opera by a certain Mlle Laurent. (April 2011) Program
A CHANTAR: The Greek Connection
Recently transcribed Byzantine chant by 9th century Greek nun Kassia juxtaposed with songs of love by medieval women trouveres and trobairitz. Featuring lute, harp, recorder, veille and percussion.
(Nov. 2009) Program
MESSA PASCHALE
A rarely heard Easter season mass for four voices and continuo instruments by Chiara Margarita Cozzolani. Includes Hilary Tann's "Psalm 136" written especially for high voices. (March 2010)
Program
Barbara Strozzi and Isabella Leonarda -
Highly ornemented works for voices (Strozzi) and violins (Leonarda) that pushed the boundaries of composition in the 17th century, and still today. (May 2010) Program
From Bingen to Salzinnes
Musical traditions of 16th century Cistercians remained little changed since Hildegard von Bingen. We visit the music of the Salzinnes Antiphonal juxtaposing this work with Hildegard's Symphonia and end with a new piece by Abbie Betinis based on the poetry of 14th c. Persion poet, Hafez.
(March 2009) Program
GLORIA -Composers include Hildegard von Bingen, Sulpitia Cesis, Rafaella Aleotti, Chiara Cozzolani, and Patricia Van Ness.
The program is ornamented by dance and puppetry. Featuring Helena Froehlich's CREATIONDANCE Program
Annually DEC 2008 -2013
La Donna, La Dame
Donna Caterina Assandra was one of the first Italian nuns to have an entire collection of music published. Join her and Donna Chiara Cozzolani, Margaret of Austria and Elizabeth Jaquette de la Guerre for harmony and contrast. (May 2009)
Program